Esteem for Silence

Miguel de Cervantes, who wrote the novel Don Quixote, once said, “A proverb is a short sentence based on long experience.” This quotation came to mind when I heard the following passage from the Book of Sirach (5: 13-15 – 6:1) at morning prayer recently:

Be swift to hear, but slow to answer.
If you have knowledge,
answer your neighbor;
if not, put your hand over your mouth!
A man’s tongue can be his downfall.
Say nothing harmful, small or great,
Lest you acquire a bad name and disgrace.

It certainly sounds like Sirach had “long experience” in learning how to train his tongue!

It is doubtful that St. Benedict was familiar with the Book of Sirach (at least, he did not quote it in his Rule), but Sirach definitely was a man after Benedict’s own heart, for Benedict’s Rule includes a chapter on “Restraint of Speech.” In these days when we have so many social media avenues to express our opinions, restraint of speech is often seen as a quaint, outmoded notion. However, being “slow to hear but swift to answer” is contributing to the breakdown of our society as many persons spout off without regard for the truth or the consequences of their words. Their bloated pride and vanity would be laughable if they weren’t so dangerous; as it says in Proverbs 18:21, “The tongue holds the key to life and death.”

Another short sentence based on long experience is the familiar proverb “Actions speak louder than words.” The way we treat others, not our words, is the truest test of character. Furthermore, Benedict said in his Rule that “…there are times when good words are to be left unsaid out of esteem for silence” (6:2). “Listen” — the first word of Benedict’s Rule —is an anagram of “silent,” so clearly he was one who esteemed silence. If we are to gain the wisdom to meet the challenges of our current age, our starting point must be learning to esteem silence.